Construction in Panajachel

Construction in Panajachel

Panajachel is a total mess right now. They started construction on a few different roads before Christmas and it's ongoing with no end in sight. Not sure why they decided to rip up the main streets now. I mean, why didn't they do it when we were in lockdown and there was no traffic?

The past two weekends for Xmas and New Year's was a total disaster. City tourists have started coming back to the lake in their fancy new cars with tinted windows. They all drove in circles around town trying to figure out how to get anywhere. There were a few traffic cops standing at intersections directing people and every second car would stop and ask either "Where's the beach?" or, "How do I get to the highway?" 

It's also been a disaster to try to walk anywhere in town. The picture above is the main corner by Chalo's near Despensa. The road is like this from Batres pharmacy almost all the way up to the market. Los Arboles is now two-way street for part of it to try to redirect traffic around, and it's not wide enough for that, so all the drivers are always freaking out. Chicken buses turn around in the middle of the street because there's no way through.

Interesting note for my first-world friends: construction is done primarily by hand. There are literally guys in the trenches digging with shovels and pickaxes. It's insane. Just get a freaking machine to do it for you!! Geez.

In better news, they repaired the tuc-tuc bridge near my house a bit more, so now there's not a gaping hole in the metal. The municipality was so proud of fixing it, they posted it on their Facebook page. (Slow news day?) It's kinda funny to remember the bridge the way it used to be, all cobbled together with wood and scrap. You can go back and look at my post from 2016 here.

Pana sure changed in 2020. So many businesses closed or moved. The Riconcita pupusa placed moved a few streets over, I think into someone's back yard, and then a new pupusa place opened in the same location. The El Dorado plaza is basically all new stores. One of my favourite tiendas is now a BBQ restaurant. We have a new gas Texaco gas station less than a block from the old Texaco gas station. They also tore down a whole block of buildings not far from Despensa and there was a rumour on Facebook that a McDonald's was going to be built there, but so far it's just an empty lot. There were lots of stores with closed shutters on Santander, but now that tourism is picking back up and restrictions are being lifted, new businesses are opening.

Happily, most of my fave places are still in business -- La Palapa, Mister Jon's, Hana Japanese restaurant (now also serving Chinese!), the 3Q store, Intermedio, and the little Pepsi tienda near my house that never gringo-prices me. A new pet food store opened up on the main street so we don't have to go up to the market anymore to get dog food. 

The weather is great, as usual. Dry season has started, although it did rain yesterday, surprisingly. Here's a picture of some nice mini roses growing over someone's fence. I hope it cheers up anyone who is dealing with cold and snow right now.

Pink flowers in Panajachel